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Watkins, Joe Bill

Vinson & Elkins, LLP
www.velaw.com
2801 Via Fortuna, Suite 100
Austin, TX 78746
Phone: 512-542-8460
Fax: 512-236-3255
jwatkins@velaw.com

Overview

Partner's distinguished career spans 25 years representing clients on legislative and government agency work and political campaigns.

Biography

Practice Description Joe Bill's practice focuses on legislative matters and government agency work. He represents a variety of clients, including a national association of textbook publishers, a major railroad, the contractor for TexasOnline, Texas' e-government portal and one of the nation's largest children's hospital. Joe Bill has been active for more than 25 years in political campaigns of various local, state, and national candidates and officeholders. Representative Matters Legislative work ¥ Represents an association of publishers before the Texas Legislature and the State Board of Education in areas of textbook content and funding ¥ Represents one of the nation's largest children's hospital ¥ Represented a manufacturer of generic drugs in its opposition to state regulations which unnecessarily inhibit the sale of the company's generic AB equivalent of a narrow therapeutic index anti-coagulant drug ¥ Represents a major consulting firm that has developed the State of Texas e-government portal, TexasOnline ¥ Represents a major United States manufacturer in its efforts to prevent a state set-aside program from being unfairly applied against it to the benefit of one of its competitors ¥ Represented a class 1 railroad at the local, state and national level in its opposition to the merger of the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific Railroad and continues to represent this railroad in Texas ¥ Represented an out of state coal company attempting to control its costs by opposing a new state coal tax ¥ Represented one of the nation's largest defense plants in its efforts to clarify a law allowing an exemption on the use of gas and electricity in the manufacture of certain aircraft ¥ Represented an international association of companies seeking to strengthen state penalties for counterfeiting and selling name brand products ¥ Represented the national association of real estate investment trusts to ensure the fair treatment of these entities under proposed new taxes ¥ Represented a home builder of high quality homes in Texas' major urban markets to oppose changes in the State's title insurance laws which would have prohibited reputable homebuilders from offering title insurance to their customers ¥ Represented several municipal management districts in the Houston area in their efforts to obtain legislative authority to create taxing and improvement districts as a means to enhance local economic development efforts Activities and Affiliations ¥ Board of Directors: Texas Cowboys Alumni Association ¥ First Fellow: American Leadership Forum ¥ Keeton Fellow: The University of Texas School of Law ¥ Chair: Board of the Ronald McDonald House of Austin, 1993-1994 ¥ Director: Austin-San Antonio Corridor Council, 1988-1990; Texas Business Hall of Fame, 1983-1986; Live Oak Theater, 1997-1998 Education and Professional Background ¥ The University of Texas, B.A., 1965 ¥ The University of Texas School of Law, LL.B. with high honors, 1968 (Editor-in-Chief, Texas Law Review; Order of the Coif; Chancellor, Counsel) ¥ Admitted to practice: Texas, 1968 ¥ Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., 1968-1973 ¥ Executive Assistant to the Attorney General of Texas, 1973-1974

Active? 1
Founder? Y
Group Type: l
Overview:
Partner's distinguished career spans 25 years representing clients on legislative and government agency work and political campaigns.

Biography:
Practice Description Joe Bill's practice focuses on legislative matters and government agency work. He represents a variety of clients, including a national association of textbook publishers, a major railroad, the contractor for TexasOnline, Texas' e-government portal and one of the nation's largest children's hospital. Joe Bill has been active for more than 25 years in political campaigns of various local, state, and national candidates and officeholders. Representative Matters Legislative work ¥ Represents an association of publishers before the Texas Legislature and the State Board of Education in areas of textbook content and funding ¥ Represents one of the nation's largest children's hospital ¥ Represented a manufacturer of generic drugs in its opposition to state regulations which unnecessarily inhibit the sale of the company's generic AB equivalent of a narrow therapeutic index anti-coagulant drug ¥ Represents a major consulting firm that has developed the State of Texas e-government portal, TexasOnline ¥ Represents a major United States manufacturer in its efforts to prevent a state set-aside program from being unfairly applied against it to the benefit of one of its competitors ¥ Represented a class 1 railroad at the local, state and national level in its opposition to the merger of the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific Railroad and continues to represent this railroad in Texas ¥ Represented an out of state coal company attempting to control its costs by opposing a new state coal tax ¥ Represented one of the nation's largest defense plants in its efforts to clarify a law allowing an exemption on the use of gas and electricity in the manufacture of certain aircraft ¥ Represented an international association of companies seeking to strengthen state penalties for counterfeiting and selling name brand products ¥ Represented the national association of real estate investment trusts to ensure the fair treatment of these entities under proposed new taxes ¥ Represented a home builder of high quality homes in Texas' major urban markets to oppose changes in the State's title insurance laws which would have prohibited reputable homebuilders from offering title insurance to their customers ¥ Represented several municipal management districts in the Houston area in their efforts to obtain legislative authority to create taxing and improvement districts as a means to enhance local economic development efforts Activities and Affiliations ¥ Board of Directors: Texas Cowboys Alumni Association ¥ First Fellow: American Leadership Forum ¥ Keeton Fellow: The University of Texas School of Law ¥ Chair: Board of the Ronald McDonald House of Austin, 1993-1994 ¥ Director: Austin-San Antonio Corridor Council, 1988-1990; Texas Business Hall of Fame, 1983-1986; Live Oak Theater, 1997-1998 Education and Professional Background ¥ The University of Texas, B.A., 1965 ¥ The University of Texas School of Law, LL.B. with high honors, 1968 (Editor-in-Chief, Texas Law Review; Order of the Coif; Chancellor, Counsel) ¥ Admitted to practice: Texas, 1968 ¥ Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., 1968-1973 ¥ Executive Assistant to the Attorney General of Texas, 1973-1974

Birthday: 0000-00-00
Gender: M
Elected Office: N
Governmental Experience: N
Lobby Local: N
Lobby State: N
Lobby Federal: N